The Department of Housing and Urban Development and Bank of America have announced an agreement to settle a claim that BofA refused to provide mortgage financing to a lesbian couple. BofA allegedly violated a HUD rule prohibiting lenders from basing borrowers’ eligibility for an FHA-insured loan on their sexual orientation, gender identity or marital status. The new “equal-access” rule applies in all FHA programs. The enforcement action is HUD’s first against a lender involving the equal-access rule. BofA agreed to pay a $7,500 fine, a middling sum compared to ...